Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Yes, this is another appetizer from the holiday party.  I promise some real food is coming soon!

Before I get to the dip I had to share this sweet shot.  My great friend, Lauren, brought her son Brody to the party.  Shortly after walking in he spotted our Elf from Elf on the Shelf.  (Although Brody calls him "Alf".)  He was so excited that the Elf had followed him all the way to Roswell from his home in Alpharetta.  Alex and Brody sat on the couch and read the Elf on the Shelf book.  It was precious!

Brody and Alex reading about the Elf!

I absolutely LOVE this dip!  I make it all the time and it is always a big hit!  I found it online back when I was in college.  This is a mock version of Olive Garden's, supposedly.  I have  never actually had spinach artichoke dip at Olive Garden so I couldn't tell you how much they are alike!

Before I was gluten free I served this with pita chips, now tortilla chips.  Warm bread would also be a great dipper.

The picture does not do it justice.  I was in a hurry to snap a shot since guests had already started eating!

Olive Garden Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Source: http://www.cdkitchen.com/

1 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup spinach frozen (defrosted)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (don't skimp and use miracle whip here!)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup romano cheese (you can use all parmesan if that is all you have)
1 garlic clove, minced
Either 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil or 1 tablespoon of fresh basil
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature.  Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, parmesan, romano cheese, garlic, basil, and garlic salt.  Mix well.

Add the artichoke hearts and spinach (I squeeze it really good with my hands to make sure it is well drained), and mix until blended.  Store in a container until you are ready to use.

Spray corningware with Pam, pour in dip, and top with mozzarella.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Soup

I recently got this recipe from a friend's blog.  Tracy was actually the motivation I needed to get my own blog started.  She was right when she said this tastes just like the dip.

She called her version "low fat".  I did not use low fat cream cheese, but the real deal.  I think it would taste great either way.  I also used a 14 oz can of artichoke hearts because I can not get enough of them.  Lastly, Alex will not eat feta cheese.  I LOVE feta!  I put romano on his soup, but it definitely tasted better with feta on mine!

Alex ate this soup with french bread, while I ate it with tortilla chips.  Hope you enjoy this yummy soup during this cold weather!

All the ingredients ready to go.

Low Fat Creamy Spinach Artichoke Soup

From:  Souper Jenny Cooks

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

2 Cloves minced garlic (I did 3 because we were down to the center of the bulb with the smaller cloves)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

25 oz. frozen chopped spinach

8 oz. can chopped artichokes

2 quarts vegetable broth

6 oz of low fat cream cheese (or the real kind:))

1/2 cup crumbled feta

Directions:

Heat oil over medium high and add chopped onion and garlic.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  

This is the most amazing smell, garlic and onion cooking!  

Side note:  I do not recommend using a non-stick pan over medium heat due to the potential risk factors for cancer.  You can research this more if you would like.  Unfortunately, I did not have a pot that was large enough for this soup that was not non-stick.  It is my goal to acquire some cast iron pots soon.

Add frozen spinach, artichoke hearts, and vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 30 minutes.  

Cut cream cheese and add to soup.  Puree in a food processor or blender until well blended.  

We own a VitaMix which if you are not careful will puree anything you put in it.  My first batch looked like baby food, so I was more careful with the second batch and left it a little chunkier.  

Serve with crumbled feta on top.